This invention is related to cycloolefin metathesis and, more particularly, to a process for making functionalized polyalkenamers.
As pointed out by Ofstead in U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,932, the olefin metathesis reaction is a unique bond reorganization process wherein materials possessing carbon-to-carbon double bonds undergo a redistribution of constituents as depicted by the example in equations (1) and (2) on the following page: ##STR1##
This reaction is considered to proceed by the cleavage of the carbon-to-carbon double bond in the reacting olefin.
Similarly, the ring-opening polymerization reaction of cycloolefins also involves the scission of the carbon-to-carbon double bonds in the cycloolefin ring. The alkylidene carbons are rejoined to other such carbons derived from other monomer units to form the linear unsaturated polymer chain.
Processes for the metathesis polymerization of cycloolefins are known in the prior art. They teach the use of a variety of transition metal compounds in combinations with various cocatalysts and catalysts modifiers for the ring-opening polymerization or copolymerization of cycloolefins. Some examples of such efforts are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,920,714; 3,920,715 and 3,929,850 to Streck. However, these examples teach the use of molecules containing C-Si-X where X is halogen or oxygen, and in which the C-Si bond stays attached. It is thus desirable to have a procedure in which cycloalkenes are substituted by functional groups that do not act as poisons to the metathesis polymerization reaction and yet can be substituted by some other desired functional groups.